The SIBO Obambo Piped water Extension Project opening ceremony was held in late June 2024.
The project saw the laying of a 7 km water pipeline bringing water to more than 18,000 people in the Obambo area of western Kenya.
General Manager Troy Green submitted the following on behalf of the Tweed Shire Council and Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program.
The following is a message from the General Manager, Tweed Shire Council – Mr Troy Green.
It is with great pleasure that I greet those members of the Siaya community gathered here today on the occasion of the opening of the SIBO water pipeline extension project.
On behalf of the people of the Tweed Shire, our Mayor, Councillor Chris Cherry, the members of our Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program steering committee, Chair Tom Alletson and staff contributors to the Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program, I convey our warm regards and sincere congratulations for the wonderful community effort that has led to the completion of this water pipeline extension.
There are many of us from the Tweed Shire who are very proud of the outcome that has been achieved through this project.
The Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program, led by Mr Olita, has been working on water issues within the Siaya locality since 2007.
The issues of limited access to safe water in Siaya were first bought to our attention by Mr Olita at a time when we gained access to the filter technology that has been used in the Tinga, Manyasi, Gona and Ochillo safe water kiosks.
A number of people here at Tweed Shire Council believed we should take the chance to use our expertise and resources to assist your communities in their quest for safe water.
The members of TKMP here in Australia always knew that we were making a small contribution to a very large problem, and we knew that the Safewater Kiosks and sky hydrant filters would not last forever.
But we believed that by starting the journey toward a better water future, you the people of Siaya would gain momentum, and find your own way to more sustainable and reliable, safe water access.
While we live a long way apart, our people’s lives are linked by our reliance on water, and the ceaseless effort that we must apply to maintain a safe and secure supply.
I wish to thank and congratulate all the of the people who have worked on this project and made it a success.
This includes the Member of the County Assembly, Mr David Ragen MCA, the Managing Director of SIBO, Mr Adipo, Area Chief Mr. Peter Ouma, and Area Assist Chief Mme Carmen Ayugi.
I acknowledge and thank all of the project engineers and staff who undertook design, budget estimation and construction supervision for the pipeline, and the technicians who have fitted valves and meters.
I wish to thank and acknowledge all of the village elders who have assisted with the project, and members of the the Obambo Community, Tinga and Gona SW committees who have supported both the long-term operation of the TKMP Safewater Kiosks, and the development of this new project model.
We in Australia know that the project would not have been possible without strong community support, as well as the technical oversight by our colleagues within the County Government and SIBO.
I particularly acknowledge and encourage all young people who have shown interest in the pipeline project, and I urge you to follow up on your commitment to water, be it as a career in science, engineering or health, or as a leader within society.
I also thank and acknowledge all of the local people who have worked on the project, either by excavating the line and laying pipe or allowing access through their land.
All of this work has been essential, and we believe that the deep involvement of your community will lead to a strong sense of ownership and commitment to maintenance of the pipeline, and the water it delivers.
Here in Tweed Shire, I thank and acknowledge Mr Mike Rayner, former-General Manager of Tweed Shire Council, who in 2003 founded the Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program after a chance meeting with Mr Olita.
These 2 men shared a passion for people's well-being and water, and thus from a very simple beginning, with their inspiration, we have achieved a project that will see piped water available for the first time, to many 1000s of people in the pipeline area.
In Australia, TKMP has been funded by many Tweed Shire Council staff who have made a small regular contribution from their wages, into our project budget.
Many of our contributors have been making this donation for as long as 16 years, and we are all very proud of what we have achieved.
In addition to this, we have been blessed with the support of very generous donors by the name of Alec and Mary Peden and the Thiess Family.
Their annual financial contributions to TKMP, and in particular, sizeable contributions directly to this project, have been absolutely critical in it becoming a reality.
In addition, throughout the years that TKMP has existed, we have been helped immeasurably by the International River Foundation, who have provided our legal status.
Without this organisations profile and legitimacy, TKMP would not have gained a life of it’s own, or the results that you see here today.
We have also been supported by Health Organisation of Kenya, Sky Juice Foundation, Triangle Waterquip and local Australian community groups such as Rotary, sporting clubs and other individuals making one off or multiple donations.
Early in the life of the Tweed Kenya Mentoring Program, we realised that at its heart was the concept of a relationship between our two communities, and that this relationship grew around a shared understanding of the need for our families to be able to access safe water.
At the centre of this relationship has always been our water champion – Mr Olita Ogonjo. Without Olita, TKMP could not have provided water at our four Safewater Kiosks for the last 16 years, could not have de-silted Gona and Tinga Dams, could not have installed rainwater tanks or toilets at any of the local schools, and certainly could not have planned and funded a water pipeline project to serve 1000s of people within this district.
Olita has shown bravery, compassion, skill, diligence, patience and great tenacity in all of his years with TKMP, and none more so than in recent months as he delivered this project, while at the same time mourned the loss of his beloved daughter Renee.
I hope you will all join with me in acknowledging Olita’s immense contribution to his community over the past 16 years of TKMP operation, and in the completion of this valuable project. Olita, please accept our deep and sincere gratitude for your effort.
As General Manager of Tweed Shire Council, and an integral member of the TKMP team for many years, it is with great pride and optimism that I once again congratulate this community for its work on the water pipeline.
I wish you all every success in the long-term management, and continued expansion and improvement of water access in this region.
Yours faithfully
Troy Green
General Manager
Tweed Shire Council
View the photos and videos from the 2024 piped water extension opening.